Google says it complies with Russian anti-trust watchdog's order

Android users got option to choose a search engine

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MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. Google is complying with the order of Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) which provides for an option to choose a search engine on Android-based smartphones . That was a provision of the settlement agreement signed between the company and FAS.

"In compliance with the agreements with Yandex and our agreement with FAS we have created a new option to promote services of search engines in Chrome application on Android-based devices," a spokesperson with Google told TASS.

In May, Google paid an administrative fine of 438 million rubles ($7.3 mln), imposed by the FAS. The corporation also paid two more fines amounting to 500,000 rubles ($8,251) each imposed on its structures (Google Inc. and Google Ireland Ltd.).

In April, Google signed a settlement agreement with FAS for the period of six years and nine months following a claim filed by Russian internet company Yandex.

The settlement provides that Google waives exclusivity of its applications on devices with Android OS in Russia for its effective term. Users of Android-based smartphones will see the "selection window" with several options of the search engine after update of the browser and the search widget. The legal dispute of Google and FAS lasted for more than 18 months.